Clark Township

Clark Township

This town is designated on the maps of the United States surveys, as town one hundred and three (103) north, of ranfje twentyfour (24) west. Its surroundings are as follows: On the north is Dunbar, east is the town of Carlston, in Freeborn county, south is the township of Poster, and west is Walnut Lalte township.

The average elevation of the town above sea level is 1,170 feet, the depth of drift to bed-rock is about 110 to 120 feet, and the bed rock is grey sandstone. The surface of this town has a slightly undulating, or often nearly flat surface, but with some slight elevations in the southwest corner. There are a good many shallow depressions or sloughs, from five to fifteen feet lower than the general surface, the descent being by long slopes. There is one small stream, or water course, which is near the south line of the town, and is named Foster creek. There are also several small slough runs, or rivulets. This is a prairie township, there being no native timber whatever, in the town, but the residents are, every year, setting but trees in the village, and groves in the country, many of which have already reached a large growth.

The soil is black, deep, rich and productive, growing the most nutritious grasses, and is better adapted, perhaps, to grazing, than grain raising, though the amount of grain raised here averages about the same as that in many other towns, according to the acreage cultivated. Should the improbable event ever occur, that the lands in other parts of this county should become arid or worn out. it may reasonably be expected that most of the lands in Clark township will still be productive. Good water is easily obtained by digging or boring, and there are in this town many artesian, or flowing wells, especially in the village of Wells. These flowing wells, or fountains, are obtained in any part of the town, and are very valuable. The water is verj* good. These wells are usually' two inches in diameter, and from 100 to 160 feet in depth. There are some indications from these flowing wells and some of their discharges and other considerations, that the locality embracing a part of this town and perhaps Dunbar, and other adjoining territory, has a subter-

The Name

This town was named Cobb by the special commissioners in 1858, they supposing that the Cobb river ran through the town. This was a mistake however. On September 7th, 1869, the name of the town was changed by the county commissioners to Thompson, but it appearing that there was another town in the state of this name, the commissioners on the twenty-fourth day of March, 1870, gave it the name of Clark. It was named Clark, and previously Thompson, in honor of Clark W. Thompson, the original proprietor of the village site of Wells, and the largest land owner of the town and county.

Clark W. Thompson was born on the twenty-third day of July, 1825. He removed with his father to Rockford, III., in 1839, and went to California in 1849, where he remained until 1853. In the latter year, he returned to the "States," and settled at Hokah, Houston county, Minn., where he at once took a prominent part in political and business affairs. Here he built a (louring mill.

He was married to Miss Rebecca Wells. The fruits of the marriajje were four sons. He was a member of the 6th Territorial Legislature - 1855 - and of the Territorial Council in 1856 and 1857, and a member of the Constitutional Convention in 1857. He was a presidential elector on the republican ticket of 1860.

In 1861 he was appointed superintendent of Indian affairs in the northwest, which office he held until 1865, when he resigned it to take charge of the cpnstruction of the Southern Minnesota Railroad, and became president and general manager for some years. The great work of building this road is to be credited, largely, to Mr. Thompson. He was a member of the State Senate in 1871, from this county, and was president of the State Agricultural Society at one time.

It is not inappropriate to add here, that the name of Clark is one of distinction. Thei-e are five counties of the name in the United States, and there have been many noted men of this name in America and Europe, and by the addition of the letter e, to the name, the list of counties and of distinguished persons, of this name, is greatly extended. There are also many villages and post-offices of the name of Clark, and Clarke, in the United States.

First Settlement

From the best information obtainable, it appears that one Alfred Holland, was the first settler of Clark township. He located upon the northeast quarter of section one (1), in June, 1862. Mr. Holland was an Englishman by birth. He enlisted in the military service of the United States in 1863, and served until the close of the war, in 1865. He subsequently sold out and removed to Nevada.

The next settler was James Glendening, a Scotchman, who took a claim in July. 1862. He left the county during the Indian excitement, which occurred soon after.

The next person, who located here, was Augustus Powers, who selected a claim in the winter of 18G2-3, and commenced permanent improvements, in building and breaking up the sod, in the spring of 1863, and to him, in fact, belongs the honor of being the first permanent settler. He remained, while the others, after but a short stay, left the town.

Zachariah Lovell was another of the early settlers. He made a claim during the summer of 1863. C. R. Lord selected lands in the town in June, 1863, and brought in his family in the fall. Simeon Moirill also took a claim in 1863, and brought in his family the following year. Henry Johnston was one of the first settlei-s of the town. In July, 1864, he settled upon the lands formerly held by Glendening. And here, while referring to those who were among the first settlers of the town, or interested in it, it should be stated that the iiublic lands in range twenty-four, in this county, came into market at an early day, that is, it could be purchased from the government, without settlement or residence upon it. In all the ranges west of twenty-four, in this county, to obtain lands from the government, residence upon them and certain improvements were necessary, under either the preemption or the homestead laws, except certain tracts granted to the State for railroad and other purposes. And there may be found, among those who either settled in the town, or had purchased lands therein prior to July, 1865, the names of G. H. Sell, C Kendall, G. Bouse, J. Battles, Jr.. A. L. Richardson. W. S. Keel. W. Dammau. D. B. Smith, S. Cusick. M. A. Smith. W. McCuUough. T. Cartwright. H. G. Abbott. W. Snyder. J. Sawyer, M. McGarme. J. C. Easton, G. M. Barnard. J. Moyer. T. Pond, but especially Clark W. Thompson, who purchased of the general government, in this town, over nine thousand acres, which is the largest body of laud ever owned in this county, by one individual.

Organization

This town was attached to Marples (now Minnesota Lake) for civil purposes, by the special commissioners, in 1858, and on Mai'ch 5th, 1860, was detached from Marples and attached to Walnut Lake township, by the county commissioners, and so remained until Sept. 7th. 1869. when, by the same authoritj', it was detached from Walnut Lake township and organized as a separate town. The organization has continued from that time. The township officers, in 1879, the closing year of this sketch, were as follows: Supervisors. M. J. Myers, chairman. J. Penny and H. Giibertson; town clerk. F. B.

Southwick; assessor, E. S. Leavitt; treasurer. Dr. Daniel Straw, justices of the peace, W. B. Dunn and F. E. "Watson; constable, Wm. Billings.

Interesting Incidents

The first school house was erected in the fall of 1867. It is upon the southeast quarter of section 27, and is a substantial frame building, twenty by twenty-four feet in size, and cost about $800.

For many years there has been a very fine graded school at Wells, in this town, and there are now in the township four substantial school houses. The interest manifested in education, has always been very commendable.

The first marriage, so far as we have been able to learn, solemnized in this town, was that of Henry Randall to Miss Jane Gilmore, March 12th, 1868, and the ceremony was performed by C. R. Lord, justice of the peace.

In Early Days

"Three soldiers were frozen to death in a blizzard which swept over this part of the country during the winter of 1864, and their bodies were not found until spring. When found one was identified as the body of Mr. Daramas, of Minnesota Lake, and the others as the remains of two comrades named Price, who accompanied him to his home In this county on a furlough. They were on their way from Minnesota Lake to visit a friend living west of this village when overtaken by the storm. The body of Deramas was taken to Minnesota Lake for burial, but his comrades, being strangers, their remains were interred on the spot where they were found, which is near Mr. Wm. Laws' farm about two miles west of town. Trees were afterwards set out to mark their graves, but about two years ago they were cut down by some person unknown. The mem- - bers of Ransom Post, G. A. R., have been interesting themselves in these lonely graves, which would soon become obliterated, and have decided to remove the remains to lots in the cemetery in this village, and began the work of disinterring the bodies this morning. This action of the Post is very commendable, as the members have no interest in the fate of the graves of the deceased, other than that of common humanity. '

The village of Wells, situate on section nine (9), in this township, was laid off in July, 1869. It appears, however, from the following statement, taken from the Free Homestead, of July 7th, 1869, and which is valuable for several facts, that it was the original design to locate this village on section five (5).

"On the first flay of July, 1869, a few 'pioneers* rode out to the southeast Muarter of softion 5, town 103, ranjre 24. and staked out one hundred and sixty ^cres as a town site. There was Ijare prairie, nothing more: hut the town must have a name. The hat was passed, H. W. Holley, of Winneliago City, M. Conant, of La Crosse, and all others present, voting, eycept Thompson, general manager, who thought It was hard to be debarred from a voice in naming hu' otrn town. The result of the ballot was WELL.S, and alludes to the maiden name of Mrs. Clark W. Thompson.

Last Tuesday Mr. C. C. Cottrell, of Walnut Lake, put up the first building in this embryo town, and within three inonlhs there will he upim that ijuarter section of prairie, a town rivaling any other in the county. Such is life in the West."

"The first invaders and settlers of the sacred soil, whereupon the village of Wells now stands, were Col. C. W. Thompson, Capt. J. 0. Day, C. L. Chase, J. P. Burke, Frank Hall, H. W. Holley and M. Conant. After considerable meandering about over a large extent of prairie and swamp land, they finally found the spot that has became since so conspicuous in the annals of history and the minds of men."'

"It was toward the close of a bright June day, in 1869, that the above mentioned party stuck their stakes and reared the first covering over our green sward, built the first fire, cooked the first beefsteak, and scared away the cranes for the first time since the noble red men sojourned toward the setting sun. It was a happy family that slept that first night upon the spot that was soon to be made memorable for great achievements. At this lime the town site was laid out (upon paper) and many conjectures, as to its future growth, were indulged in. All their plans were rose-colored and fraught with the highest hopes. The second visit of these gentlemen, accampanied by others, to this new city, was made about a month later, when the town site was transferred from paper to the reality, and the erection of permanent buildings was commenced. Here the trials and difflculties of these pioneers began. The railroad was forty miles distant. Tlie nearest point for lumber was Owatonna, and the only mode of transit was by teams, which, with innumerable sloughs and unbridged streams to cross, made it conspicuously expensive, as well as discouraging. But, like the martyrs of old, they knew not discouragement or defeat, and time, the great alleviator, brought their arduous and ditlicult duties to a t<'rminus, and success over every oljslacle crowned their labors with glory, as they witnessed the first frame building rise up, phu'nix-like in the midst of the boundless prairie. Capt. J. C. Day occupied the first building, as a general store, that same fall, and many amusing incidents are connected with that building, in its early day. The half dozen old stagers that were here, made it a daily practice to ascend to the roof and ga/.e long and earnestly across the sea <if level prairie to catch the first glimpse of a passing traveler. After days of anxious watching, one of the party discovered a small black speck against the horizon, apparently approaching them, and when the object came near enough for discernment, and they discovered it to be a women on horseback, trepidation seized the entire party, and an appalling scene occurred, for the poi^r fellows had not seen a women for many a week, and, all being bashful by nature, it re- (luired the best of generalship tn induce any of them to assist the heroic lady from her horse. This was the first house and the first customer; but the tide of emigration had begun to flow into the new Eldorado, and new l)uildings began to dot the laid out lots, and a general scene of activity began to be observed.''

"In the month of September, of the same year, we had quite a rush of settlers, who were willing to accept of all the discomforts appertaining to the establishing of a new town, upon a boundless, treeless and uninhabited prairie. Where the Wells Ifouse now stands, water then stood nearly three feet deep, and required the active services of men, night and day, to keep the raging torrent from completely submerging the basement."

"The Wells House waserected in the winter of '69, also the store building of Robert Andrews and H. A. Parks. The spring of 1870 came, and new enterprizes were started. Burke endeavored to start a brick yard, and while on his way to Austin, to get his material, he met Capt. Day, with a load of goods for his new store, completely stalled, in a little ravine, near where Alden stands, and unable to extricate himself. The ravine was then filled with a rushing stream of water, about three feet deep and forty rods wide, which the Captain was rather dilatory aljout crossing, except in his wagon. But the precariousness of the situation soon became apparent, when the Captain shouldered his chest and gently lowered himself into the water, waded ashore. The chilly winds howled dismally around his nether parts until they were nearly paralyzed with cold, and Burke was obliged to swing the end board of the wagon in close proximity to the Captain's chilly parts, to bring back a renewal of life. The Captain was three days getting through from Austin. O. D. Hall left Austin with four teams, loaded with household goods, and was four days on his journey, and finally came into Wells with fourteen teams, hauling what four teams started with at first."

"We had but little sickness in our midst, and those who were unfortunate, laid their claims upon the cooking of Q. J. Adams, who was only a natural born citizen, and did not fully understand the modus operandi of always making bread that wouldn't stick to a fellow's teeth: but in general, Adams made good bread. Daniel Carpenter was our physician, and his great experience and knowledge of medicine saved us many times from borrowing a spade to dig a neighbor's last resting place."

Wells was the first railroad town in this county, and for a time its growth was very rapid. It was in January. 1870, that the Southern Minnesota Railroad was completed to Wells, and the first train of cars reached the village. For a year following it was the railroad grain market of the county. Some years after ( 1874) the Minnesota Central Railroad, running from Mankato to Wells, was completed, and afterwards became a branch of the Southern Minnesota Railroad. This branch gives the village important connections. Wells has. from the first, been much indebted to the public spirit and energy of Mr. Thompson, who, at an early day, secured the location here of the railroad machine shops, and finally, for a time, the general offices of the company. Other great enterprises of Mr. Thompson were the erection of an immense cheese factory, one of the best in the United States, subsequently changed to a creamery. During subsequent years, he also erected a barrel factory, the barrels being manufactured by an invention of his own. He erected a vinegar factory, at an expense of forty thousand dollars, which was in operation when destroyed by fire. And not least of his enterprises was the breaking up. in 1871. of many hundreds of acres of land, near the village, and the erection of some twenty brick farm houses and barns thereon, which farms he let out. stocked with cows. A newspaper named The Prairie Bugle (democratic), purporting to be issued at Wells in August and September, 1869. started out with a great demonstration, but it was really printed, half in Milwaukee and half in Austin. Minn., and soon failed. On or about the 20th day of January, 1870, the first issue of the Wdls Atlas appeared, being the first newspaper really printed and published in the village. A newspaper has been published at this place during most of the past years, a full history of which will be found in the various years of the general history of the county.

The village was first incorporated by act approved March 6th, 1871. as "The Village of Wells," and embraced the following territory: The south half of section four and the north half of section nine. Mr. J. K. Brown was the first village president. Many amendments to this original act have been made, from time to time, which are noted in the legislative history of the county. Of an early school teacher in Wells, a writer in the Adcocate says:

"Alsip's brick yard furnished us with a school teacher, called "Dixie," Chas. Dixon, who had a peculiar way of dismissing his pupils, by lirst filling his inch and a-half clay pipe, and standing roady with a match in one hand, and while slowly drawing it across liis kneo, would sing out, "Attention, grub time, giti"

It is stated that this teacher, having no great reverence for religious ceremonies, frequently opened his school by singing the famous classic song known as "Paddy and the Bear."

As to the early hotels, it appears that Q J. Adams, erected, in August, 1869, a frame building to be used as a hotel. As Mrs. Adams had not yet arrived when he opened his hotel, Mr. Adams himself did the housework for some time. Two hotels were erected in 1871, the Wells House and the American House.

Religious And Other Societies

The first sermon delivered in the village of Wells, was preached by the Rev. R. B. Abbott, of Albert Lea, Minn., on the evening of the first day of April, 1870. Quite a large audience was in attendance, and the sermon was a deeply interesting one.

"Up to 1871 no church spires were observed iu our town. Services were held in passenger coaches and private houses. Albert Lea supplied us with ministers."

Before the closing year of this sketch, 1879. several religious denominations had organized societies and Sunday schools, and several church buildings had been erected. The Episcopal church was erected in 1874, during the rectorship of the Rev. Burleson. Within the same period, also, Doric Lodge, No. 89, A. F. A. M., Mechanics Lodge, No. 19, L O. of O. F., and Rescue Lodge, No. 66, I. O. of G. T., and "Wells Lodge, No. 39, A. O. U. W., had been instituted.

This township, since the founding of Wells, and up to the close of 1879, has furnished a number of public officers. Robt. Andrews was several times county commissioner, and as state senators we have had C. W. Thompson and J. P. West, and as representative, J. P. West several terms. Of our county attorneys, two, to this date, have been from this town, M. W. Green several terms, and M. S. Wilkinson. And as county surveyor, E. S. Leavitt, a number of terms.

Mr. West was born in Waterbury, Vermont, in 1839. He received an academic education, studied law, and was admitted to the bar at twenty-one years of age. In 1861 he emigrated to Wisconsin, and settled at Wausau, where he practiced his profession for ten years. He was district attorney of Marathon county, Wis., two terms, and postmaster of Wausau, three years. He came to Minnesota in 1871, and located at Wells, where he engaged In the practice of the law and other business.

Mr. West held various local offices during his residence in Wells, and was for a time editor of the local newspaper. He was elected to the State Legislature, lower House, in 1873, and again in 1874, and to the State Senate in 1875, and was again elected to the lower House in 1877 and in 1878. He was subsequently appointed Deputy State Examiner, and removed to Hastings. Mr. West is a republican in politics.

Statistical

The population of this township, in 1870, was 347, this being the first census of the town taken after it had become a separate and independent township organization. In 1875 the population was 623, and in 1880, 892, including the village of Wells at both enumerations. The following statistics are taken from the assessor's returns for the year 1879, and include projjerty in the village of Wells.

But there were many residents of this township, prior to the close of 1879, whose names have not yet been mentioned. Here are many of them: RoVit.